Young dancers get a lesson from the Newtown Centre of Classical Ballet during the Newtown Arts Festival, an eight-day "celebration of the arts," on the Fairfield Hills campus in Newtown, Conn. Saturday, Sept. 21, 2013.
Photo: Michael Duffy

"Goldrush," a band from Sandy Hook, performs a composition by Dick Neal, left, at the Newtown Arts Festival, an eight-day "celebration of the arts," on the Fairfield Hills campus in Newtown, Conn. Saturday, Sept. 21, 2013.
Photo: Michael Duffy

The Newtown Arts Festival on the Fairfield Hills campus had something for everyone young and old. The two-day event saw some rain Saturday. But that had festival organizer Terry Sagedy predicting big crowds for Sunday's fair finale.

"We've had a great turnout," Sagedy said Saturday afternoon, "a little deterred by a passing shower but they filled the music tent until the rain passed."

Acoustic country music by Goldrush was followed by skits from the Flagpole Radio Cafe players. Participants filled tents, playing with clay and tie-dyeing T-shirts.

"When they're finished, you hang them in places outside for people to find and enjoy," Murtha said.

Some folks just walked about and took in the sights. Henry Manton, 4, and his mother Angela, of Sandy Hook, wandered under and through the quadrangle of geodesic domes. The domes were made of stretched canvas painted cream on the outside, with red, high-arched ceilings inside.

"The whole eight days of festival events have been an incredible experience for everyone involved," Sagedy said. "We expected 3,500 today and had 1,200 folks arrive before the rain."

Sagedy said his vision for the eight-day event was to "offer a variety of cultural programing with something for everyone."

"To see the joy and things that have touched people all week long has been wonderful," Sagedy added, citing The Rooster Ball, Children's Art Party and film screening of Max Galassi's "Youth."